Two avalanches hit Kashmir's Gurez Sector, 10 soldiers killed; PM Modi expresses grief

At least 10 soldiers were killed in two separate incidents of avalanches that struck Army camp in Gurez Sector of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

File photo: PTI

Srinagar: At least 10 soldiers were killed in two separate incidents of avalanches that struck Army camp in Gurez Sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

Rescue operations were immediately launched in the extremely bad weather and heavy snowfall. The area continues to receive heavy snowfall.

An avalanche hit an Army camp in Gurez sector of Bandipora district near the Line of Control last evening in which several soldiers were trapped, an Army official said.

The official said another avalanche hit a patrol party which was on its way to a post in Gurez sector last evening.

"Six soldiers were killed in two separate avalanche tragedies in Gurez sector of the LoC (on Wednesday)," an Army statement said.

Expressing grief over six Indian soldiers getting killed in avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the authorities have been directed to carry out search and rescue operations.

Deeply saddened at the death of our Veer jawans in an avalanche in Kashmir. Have directed the authorities for speedy search and rescue ops. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 26, 2017

In a similar unfortunate incident, an Army officer was killed and four other soldiers injured on Wednesday when an avalanche hit an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir in Ganderbal district, while four of a family died after their house was buried under the snow in Bandipora district.

In another avalanche incident, four members of a family died as their residential house was buried under snow in Gurez sector near Line of Control in north Kashmir's Bandipora district.